During my boarding school years, my longing for my father compelled me to find solace in doodles on old paper, as a way to express my feelings. One day, Professor and sculptor Diep Minh Chau happened to see those drawings. He brought them back and presented them to the Board of Directors of the Vietnam Fine Arts University (then the Indochina College of Fine Arts). Thanks to this, I was granted special admission to the 7-year program, marking the miraculous beginning of my artistic journey.

Artist Van Duong Thanh with his works in the exhibition. Photo: THAI PHUONG

At the age of 12, I enrolled in school. My first impression of the school was of the two-and-a-half-meter-tall Greek statues, a gift from the Soviet Union's University of Fine Arts, standing majestically in the tree-shaded campus. The two-story building on the left had an antique charm, having once been the residence and studio of the French professor and painter Victor Tardieu. To this day, the building retains its original form, with century-old ceramic gutters and two exquisite bas-reliefs depicting "Harvest Days" by the French teachers.

The principal at the time was the renowned painter Tran Van Can, a talented and exemplary teacher. Lecturers such as Luong Xuan Nhi, Pham Gia Giang, Vu Giang Huong, Nguyen Trong Cat, Phuong Trinh, Diep Minh Chau... were all masters of Vietnamese art. I still remember an incident in 1962, when two wooden planks of the school gate were broken by a car. Teacher Tran Van Can personally mixed paint and painted over the broken planks, making them look like the old ones. The colors were so harmonious that no one noticed the replacement.

My class had only a few students, from all over the country. Besides the children of famous painters, there were young people from the war zones and six Pathet Lao soldiers. The selection process was very rigorous, and the curriculum was rich: from painting, sculpture, architecture, stage design to book design. The teachers always encouraged creativity, teaching us to find our own unique voice. I will always remember Professor Tran Luu Hau's words: "Find your own voice in painting."

One unforgettable memory is when I painted "Laying the Foundation for the Construction of a Workers' Cultural Center." Canvas and oil paints were scarce at the time, so after judging, the paintings were often submerged in water to remove the paint for reuse. I asked the person in charge if I could keep the work to submit to the Hanoi Fine Arts Exhibition. Later, the work won an award and was purchased by the Vietnam Fine Arts Museum. My first rewards in life were colored pencils, which I gave to elderly artists, and simple yet sweet donuts to share with friends.

From 1964, as the war spread, we left school and went to the countryside to escape the bombing. Our classroom was set up in a semi-submerged bunker, but the learning atmosphere remained vibrant. Living with farmers, we learned to plant rice, pound rice, and thresh rice, creating experiences that helped us understand the working life of the people. The countryside became a profound source of inspiration for my later paintings. Sometimes, we students would follow in our teachers' footsteps to the front lines, construction sites, riverbanks, and fields to sketch. Sometimes it was in Lang Son , other times it was at Ham Rong Bridge (Thanh Hoa)... Each brushstroke was filled with emotion about the soldiers, the farmers, the volunteer youth—images that nurtured my creative inspiration later on.

Seven years of schooling were a difficult yet brilliant period. We studied both academics to graduate from high school and art to become painters. Despite the hardships, we still learned foreign languages, music, and nurtured our dreams of creativity and serving our country. Although most of the paintings from that era were lost due to the war, the memories of those old days remain vivid in my mind.

On the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the Vietnam Fine Arts University, I returned to visit the school. Meeting my former headmaster, Mr. Nguyen Trong Cat, now 95 years old, still sharp-minded and healthy, I was deeply moved. My old friends, some holding important positions in the fine arts world, others successful in independent creation, all bear witness to the enduring tradition of this century-old school – Indochina Fine Arts – Vietnam Fine Arts – which has nurtured generations of artists. They remain sacred memories and a source of spiritual support throughout my creative journey.

    Source: https://www.qdnd.vn/van-hoa/doi-song/cai-noi-nuoi-duong-tai-nang-hoa-si-cho-dat-nuoc-1010467